#doing some Demeter research…
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thedansemacabres · 11 months ago
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Let us first consider briefly the various cults of Hades’ other instantiations. We have little in the way of detail about the cults of Zeus Chthonios, Klymenos, or even Plouton from any of our ancient sources. But we do know, broadly speaking, what functions these gods had. Hades under the name of Plouton, ‘the rich one’, is the best known, and in antiquity his cult was more widespread than the others’. Under this soubriquet he is usually classed as an agriculture god: as Linder describes him, ‘Spender und Garant reicher Ernte’, ‘the giver and guarantor of a rich harvest’. Plouton was originally an Eleusinian deity of the fertile earth, first attested in the early fifth century. Thereafter Plouton became a common designation for Hades, and is generally thought of as giving the grim god of the underworld a somewhat lighter designation as provider of agrarian fruitfulness. The role arises particularly through his association with Kore/Persephone; in terms of cult, she provides the bridge between the underworld and agriculture. Plouton is usually found in the company of Demeter and Kore and not in isolation. Other instantiations of Hades also tend to receive cult in close association with Demeter and Kore. So the farmer calls on Zeus Chthonios, along with Demeter, in sowing the corn.
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The association with Demeter and Kore, and the whole tenor of Strabo’s description, make it clear that this is an agricultural cult. The close connection between Demeter and Hades here is therefore unsurprising, but it is worth noting that the area, as de- scribed by Strabo, is not straightforwardly fertile: it is also subject to disease. More- over Hades’ influence has extended far enough to have one of the rivers, Acheron, named for the underworld. So in what way does the presence of Hades ensure a good harvest? It seems likely that this is one of those instances when one god gives and another takes away. Demeter has the harvest in her purview, whereas Hades has red-rust and rush. Hades is the destructive flip side of Demeter’s generosity; cult is offered to please her and improve the harvest, and to placate him and re- duce disease. Hades is thus beneficent only insofar as he restrains his ability to cause the destruction of the crop. Even though he is a god of agricultural wealth, this destructive potential allies him also with his role as the lord of the dead.
— Worshipping Hades: Myth and Cult in Elis and Triphylia, D Burton
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finisnihil · 10 months ago
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I feel like one of the reasons "feminist" Greek mythos retellings suffer so much from being made into modern retellings is because these stories were originally kinda feminist for the times they originated from. Making these already woman-based stories feminist by modern standards only make them reductive.
Authors make some of the men involved worse than they were (Perseus, Odysseus, Ares, Apollo) and will often use the female characters to bash on other female characters (Penelope and Helen, Persephone and Demeter, etc).
You also have to take into account who wrote down these stories. If this version of it is from actual Greek records/can be corroborated by other sources or if it's just from Ovid's versions, who retold these stories from a Roman perspective and with intention to depict certain aspects a certain way because he had bias against authority. Sure, his versions fleshed out the female characters more, such as Medusa and Arachne, but was it truly out of care for the women in the stories or just to use them for his personal desire to villainize the gods and those in power? Ovid's Medusa doesn't feel anymore feminist than the original because I don't think he actually cared about the character as a woman in pain but as another knife to stab into Athena and Poseidon.
How are some modern retellings any different? Margaret Atwood uses Penelope of Ithica to beat down Helen of Troy more than anything. Lore Olympus makes Persephone a sword for her mother to fall on. How are these authors any different than Ovid?
Finally, why do the more evil female characters have to be justified? There is the aspect that if a woman is not adhering to the cultural expectation she is to be made evil, but women like that do exist. Women like Medea exist. Women like Calypso exist. Women like the goddesses exist. Why do these retellings insist on making women morally upright and entirely justified to validate being "feminist"? Doesn't it just insist on a requirement to meet a different cultural standard for how a woman should act to be considered valid?
Is your retelling truly feminist if it justifies its existence by pretending the original wasn't?
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adharaantheia · 7 months ago
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🫧The Importance of Epithets🫧
Adhara's post introduction: Hello, lovebugs! Today's post is about epithets! Hope you guys like it! I've always found Epithets something essential in my practice, so I wanted to share some knowledge and information for you guys!!
🎐What are Epithets?
🦢 Throughout ancient Greek writing and mythology, there is something known as epithets. The definition of epithet is repeated descriptive adjectives or phrases linked to a specific character, either a God or Hero, that are used to describe a specific characteristic of they hold.
🎐 What is the importance of the Epithets?
🦢 Epithets are important not only to know more about your Deity, but also to know what type of works they do with their devotees, and also to know which energy you may resonate more with.
🎐 How to know which Epithet I'm working with my Deity?
🦢 First, I recommend you to do multiple researches about your Deity, then see which one resonates more with you, then you ask them for confirmation, it's best if you have the Epithets in hand and go through it with your Deity, especially if you don't feel your intuition pushing you towards an specific epithet.
🎐 What are examples of Epithets, and what they can mean to me?
🦢 Here's some examples of Epithets and their meanings and what they could mean in works (from my perspective, of course):
- Aphrodite Areia, the warlike. A surname of Aphrodite, when represented in full armour like Ares, as was the case at Sparta: It can help at getting more confident in yourself and getting through challenges.
- Athena Paeonia(Paiônia), i. e. the healing goddess, was a surname of Athena, under which she had a statue at Athens, and an altar in the temple of Amphiaraus at Oropus: It can help through mental and physical traumas and how to live past them.
- Hekate Atalos; the tender-hearted, or Hekate the delicate: Helps through understanding that even if you're powerful, you can still be kind and soft-hearted.
- Ares Aphneiós; rich, wealthy: It can help with finances, such as saving and controlling your money better.
- Demeter Brimo;(Brimô), the angry or the terrifying, occurs as a surname of several divinities, such as Hecate or Persephone: It can help understanding where your anger comes from.
🎐 Are all Epithets usable in our worshipping?
🦢 That's a tricky question, some Epithets were used in a specific part of Greece or another place, so they may not be fit for some of us.
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athenaeum-of-the-herald · 8 months ago
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Priest & Priestesshood
The terms priest, priestess, high priest, and high priestess get tossed around a lot, especially in the hellenism community. But oftentimes, there is very little context or explanation on what it means to be the priest/priestess of a god. I think understanding these terms, their duties, and some very frequent misconceptions are once again an important part of this cared for religion. Because despite what many may tend to treat it as hellenic polytheism is a religion. Not one I would consider organized religion today, but a very real and alive religion and should be treated as such.
Naturally this isn't to say you have to strictly adhere to hellenism, your practice and worships will always be your own. But it is an important thing to remember when dealing with the concept of priest/priestesshood.
As usual, this is my own understanding and research of the topic, always be sure to do your own when needed and double check sources! Additionally, from here out I will exclusively be saying "priestess" and "priestesshood" as I am studying and training to be one, but for the most part (excluding the history) it will also apply to priest/priesthood within the modern day religion.
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Ancient Priestesshood
When we talk about modern-day hellenic priestesshood, we can't entirely look at it in its original form in ancient Greece. Back then, priestesshood was a temple station that could be bought by well-off families or something young girls were born into. Girls as young as 7 could be taken into temples on the path of priestesshood, and as they grew older, their ranks/titles within the temple would grow with them. With that said, for the most part priestesses bought their way into the station, having come from financially well-off families. Priestesshood could be seen as an "escape" from the patriarchal household society held at the time, often giving these women significant importance above men. Although how accurate this is, we don't fully know, as young girls would also have been born into a family and encouraged to perform priestly activities at a young age.
These were in the days when our temples stood high and mighty, and the unfortunate truth is that's simply not the case today. That said, hellenism has survived the ages, and we've adopted modern ways of worship, and therefore, priestesshood should be looked at in a similar fashion.
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Priestesshood Today
As we today have learned to adapt our worships to modern times while keeping the essence of the gods' importance, priestesshood today has also adapted. While the grand temples from those days are mostly in ruins, we have found ways to construct them in online spaces, and when able, in real life, planned services and congregation. So what does a priestess of a hellenic god do today?
To become the priestess of a god is something I would consider a "full-time devotee." Someone whose life is tasked with acts of devotion in that god's name and honor. A priestess of Aphrodite might become one of her sacred whores or a matchmaker, a priestess of Demeter may live rurally and grow crops to provide and offer, a priestess of Hades may become a death worker (PLEASE heavily research that topic itself if it is a path you choose as not everyone can become one and it is considered a closed practice by degrees) or a baneful worker, etc. Regardless of the gods, a priestess would typically perform duties that align with that god's attributes and associations. It is a dedication to serving that god and performing acts in their name and honor. Priestesshood is a commitment to that god.
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How Do You Become a Priestess?
This can be a difficult question to answer. As stated before, priestesshood could be bought or be something you were raised into. However, in our modern day, that's no longer the case. From what I've researched, priestesshood can be obtained through two methods.
Mentorship under an established priestess
An invitation from the god
Mentorship would entail finding a god's priestess and them taking you under their wing and training you personally. Many times, the mentorship will be something paid for, but will give you someone experienced and a solid learning foundation in your future training. Naturally, you should vet the priestess beforehand and ensure they are someone trustworthy and knowledgeable. There are many people who will falsely claim priestesshood, so ensure this is someone truthful in their dedication.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, someone can personally be invited by their god into priestesshood. This in itself can hold a myriad of difficulties, such as initial uncertainty. A lot of divination or fact-checking would be required as well as checking in with that god themself. Another difficulty would be the need to do training on your own. There is no step by step guide for priestesshood for each and every god, and the chances of finding a genuine one for your deity is slim. Training solo would mean researching and practicing on your own, with a great deal of trial and error and constant check-ins with your god.
My path to priestesshood started from an invitation from Hermes, and it took a lot of communication and readings with him to gain true confidence in the decision. It can be confusing, and navigating the path alone can be incredibly scary and difficult.
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Can You Become a High Priestess?
A high priestess is a vastly higher title than a normal priestess, and one that, in my opinion, very few can hold. A high priestess's entire life would be spent dedicating themself to that god, continuously in prayer and doing their duties. This is a 24/7 commitment and a lot of the time entails leaving your worldy self behind (including families, friends, ect) to live in dedication for their god. They channel the very essence of their god.
A high priestess is far more than a title, it is the pinnacle of dedication to a god and is not an easy title to obtain. A high priestess's life would entirely belong to that god, and they would spend every possible moment of it channeling the essence of that god through prayers and worship and dedicating acts for the community they have.
It is not a role just anyone can take on, and I highly advise much deeper research into the understanding of that role and what it means/entails.
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Common Questions and Misconceptions
So a priestess is just a normal follower?
Not particularly. A priestess would be required to do their devotional duties that align with their station. Priestesses would be leaders, conducting rituals and serving as a conduit for their god. There is a difference between devotional acts and devotional duties, the fine line being whether these devotions were optional or not.
I've only been working with [insert god] for a short amount of time, can I become a priestess?
The gods don't care about how long you've been in service to them. What they look at is devotion and knowledge. So long as you're willing to put in the work and truly dedicated yourself to the role, it doesn't matter if you've been a devotee for 5 years or 5 days. That said, please make sure this is a path you truly wish to walk. It is a very serious role, and the gods won't take kindly to it being treated like a game or an experiment.
I'm still a minor, can I become a priestess?
While in ancient times priestesses would be trained as young as 7, they wouldn't be considered priestesses until they reached the marriage age of 14. So by account, yes, absolutely. But I think it's important to spend your younger years truly studying and gaining knowledge and experience with your god and being certain that this is a path you wish to take. Don't be swayed by social media and other's recounting. Take your time.
But [insert creator] said they're a high priestess!
Are they always on social media? Are they constantly posting? Do they have a large online presence that they manage on their own? Then chances are, they're not a high priestess. A high priestess has no time for these things unless someone else is managing it for them to show what the life of a high priestess is like.
Would a high priestess be an oracle?
While a high priestess can be an oracle and vice versa, the two are not inherently synonymous. I'll make a long post on oracles once I've researched them more but from my current understanding, yes and no.
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templeofelysium · 5 months ago
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hekate: a history
hihi!! recently my friend expressed interest in learning more about hekate and I thought that I could do some research and put it into a post. I have an altar to her but I don't necessarily commune with her often, and I didnt know as much of her lore as I probably should've. let me know if there's another deity yall would like me to do another deep dive on. i will link the sources that i used at the very end!
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Domain: magic, witchcraft, the night, the moon, ghosts, crossroads, boundaries, herbalism and necromancy. she ruled over sky, earth, and sea, and was often venerated as a part of the household deities. she is widely respected and revered, even by the other gods
Parentage: Perses, titan of destruction and known for his great wisdom; Asteria, titaness of falling stars and nighttime divination
Important Imagery:
-she is often depicted holding two torches, a key, a dagger, or snakes -her familiars include a dog--the Queen Hecuba who committed suicide or was received as Odysseus' consort after the fall of Troy--and a polecat (like a ferret)--or the midwife Galinthias who was transformed by the goddess Eileithyia -she was often given three heads or three bodies -her arrival is often preceded by the howling of dogs -she is sometimes shown flanked by lions or (multiple) dogs -in some depictions she will have an animal head, including anything from a cow, dog, boar, serpent, or horse -wheels and caves
Associated Offerings: garlic, cypress, oak, aconite, belladonna, dittany, mandrake, yew
Other Offerings: the typical historical offerings like myrrh and frankincense, wine, and barley. eggs or eggshells (cleansing, protection), black salt (protection from spirits), chocolate (underworld), coffee (underworld), lavender or cedar or sage (cleansing, magic), asphodel (underworld), black pepper (banishing, protection), camphor (dreams, psychic divination), clove (exorcism, wealth). evil eyes if its not cultural appropriation for you to use them. then of course keys, mirrors, bones, imagery of deceased, triquetra, jewelry or magic items like
Crystals: obsidian, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, black moonstone, lapis lazuli, amethyst, labradorite, jaspers (especially dalmation or star), howlite, opal, angelite, celestite, lepidolite, larimar, aventurine, citrine, malachite, jade, blue calcite, gems, gold/silver
Associated Holiday: Hekate's Deipnon (which I covered in my last post)
Lore:
-In Hesiod's Theogony he describes Hekate allying with Zeus against the Titans and how "Zeus the son of Kronos (Cronus) honored [her] above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea." -In the Homeric Hymns Hekate is described as a close companion of Persephone, as she (along with Hermes) helped deliver her back to Demeter after her capture by Hades -During the Deipnon she is said to lead the souls of the restless dead out of Hades during the night and must be placated with offerings -Hekate is also seen as a kourotrophos (probably because of her association with Eileithyia and Artemis), or protector of children, and is often invoked as such -Hekate is often seen as Medea's (from Jason and the Argonauts) patroness and the one who advised her of what to do to get over Aeetes' trials -Sometimes she is considered the mother of Circe and Medea
Epithets: (used like a surname to call upon her different aspects)
-Perseis: destroyer (after her father) -Aionios: eternal, ever-flowing -Apotropaia: the one that protects -Brimo: angry, terrible one -Indalimos: the beautiful -Aidonaia/Chthonia: of the underworld -Propolos: who serves -Soteira: savior -Trimorphis: three-formed -Trioditis: off the cross roads/three-way -Enodia: of the way/road -Propulaia: before the gate -Nyktipolos: night wandering -Phosphoros: light bringing -Atalos: tender, delicate -Kourotrophos: nurse of the young -Skylakagetis: leader of the dogs -Kleidouchos: holder of keys (of Hades) -Liparokredemnos: bright-coiffed -Anassa eneroi: queen of those below
Things That Are Probably Neopagan But I Can't Tell:
-Hekate being seen as a maiden-mother-crone triple goddess -Hekate's wheel symbol
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Sources:
theoi.com
wikipedia on hekate
wikipedia on the deipnon
wikipedia on kourotrophos
some ancient greek holidays
hekate: a history
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khaire-traveler · 8 months ago
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As a devotee of Demeter, I sometimes feel that people only worship Persephone for the aesthetic.
I feel horrible for saying and thinking that but I can't help but feel that way. Certain pagans portray Persephone as some overpowered Mary Sue, downplaying the importance of her mother and sometimes even her husband.
I feel like people really ignore her as a agrarian deity. They claim to love her but feel the need to change everything about her - if you need to change her did you ever like her in the first place?
It honestly just feels like they're talking about a Wattpad main character instead of a religious figure at times it's so jarring to me. Imagine if someone on tiktok described their deity as a dark and daddy figure bad boy with piercings and then its literally just Jesus Christ.
And its not just Persephone, it's the whole pantheon! Some worshippers talk about the deities and their myths like characters and tropes from a telenovela. They are rarely treated like religious figures, they are more than just their myths.
Im sorry i just wanted a place to complain and see if i am not alone
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Khaire, Nonny,
Honestly, I agree with this sentiment. I've seen this time and time again where Persephone, and many other deities, get "fandomized" which can be problematic for others, even if it's ok in that individual's practice. Sometimes it feels like our religion isn't taken seriously, even by the people who actively practice it, but I also understand that people have different forms of practicing that work better for them. It's frustrating, however, when Persephone is depicted as this Mary Sue characterization of her where she's seen as, like, super edgy, badass, and powerful in a really fandomized way. It comes across as this person using Persephone as an avenue of self-expression rather than worshipping who she actually is as a deity (not to say she's not badass or powerful, to clarify). While it's ok to use a deity as an avenue for self-expression in worship (some trans folk, for example, view Apollon as trans-masc, and it actively plays a role in their worship), it's a lot less ok when you're making this deity into a cartoonish characterization of themselves. The gods present themselves differently to people, but I don't know; I guess I find it far-fetched to believe that Persephone would present herself in this sort of way. I can't speak for her, obviously, but I just disagree with this interpretation of who she is as a deity - putting herself above others, hating her mom, being a rebellious "wild child". I think that, psychologically speaking, some people might just find comfort in this representation of her and see themselves in it which is likely why they gravitate towards it. It's fine to have that experience, but I STRONGLY encourage these people to actually read the myths about Persephone, do the research on how she was worshipped, and actively try to better understand where she actually came from as a deity because this isn't just a character in a show that you relate to; this is a goddess that you're trying to worship, no?
Some people finding more success in their practice with this representation doesn't negate the harm these misconceptions and misinformation can cause. I've met multiple people who believe that Persephone willingly fled to the Underworld to "escape" Demeter (which is untrue), and that is endlessly frustrating to me, especially due to the cultural importance of the Hymn to Demeter (the myth of Persephone being kidnapped). The gods are not their myths, in my experience, but their myths still hold a heavy importance in the way they were worshipped in the past, and the way we worship them in the present. Demonizing an entire deity is the equivalent of trying to cancel a constellation of stars; it's pointless, extremely bizarre, and very "online" behavior.
But yeah, I think some people care more about the "character" than they do the deity, and I will say that confidently. I've met people who "ship" deities with each other, who make their experiences with deities sound - as you said - like a telenovela, and who actively spread harmful misinformation about deities in a way that legitimately disgusts and disturbs me. I've once had someone tell me that a deity [insert reprehensibly immoral act here] them, and to this day, I still cannot believe they said that to me when I was a beginner, just to dissuade me from worshipping that deity. The lengths some people will go to drag a deity is honestly both sad and ridiculous.
I wish some people took the religion more seriously in the sense that they didn't just make random shit up about deities, actively disrespect and disregard the culture the deities stem from, and demonize some deities while bolstering others. It shows a level of immaturity and indifference towards the culture these deities come from. It's not a fandom; it's a way of worship.
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✨ Bonus round!! ✨
Some ridiculous things I've heard people say that sound like a fandom and/or telenovela (I will put the phrases in "" to express that these are things I've heard, not things I'm saying or believe in):
"Hermes and Aphrodite constantly gossip to each other about the other gods. No one fucks with Hermes because he knows everyone's dirty laundry."
"Ares is starting a revolution on Mount Olympus against Zeus to take the throne." (Yes, I have really heard this)
"Hermes is starting a revolution on Mount Olympus against Zeus to take the throne." (Yes, I have really heard this, too)
"XYZ deity has done [insert reprehensibly immoral and highly traumatic act here] to me."
"I caught XYZ deity cheating on their spouse in the astral realm, and I'm going to tell their spouse."
"The reason the gods haven't been communicating as much lately is because Hades ran away from Mount Olympus (?) and Hekate is going after him. Everyone is panicking a little bit."
"Zeus is such a playboy." (Bruh, do you really have beef with a thousands of years old god who came from an extremely patriarchal society? What, are you trying to cancel him?)
"Poseidon is such a playboy." (Now this take is wild; I don't really understand where it came from at all)
"Apollo is such an UwU 👉👈 shy boy! He's so cute and flustered all the time." (???)
"Persephone has a lot of emotional trauma from Demeter, who was extremely controlling." (No. No for so, so many reasons.)
"Apollo is a himbo."
People say the darnedest things. You really have to wonder what possesses someone to talk about religious figures in such a way, but you know what, if it works for their practice, then good for them. I'm not a big fan of the fandomization of the gods, and I definitely agree with you, Nonny. I won't say these people don't love these deities, but I can understand where you're coming from. It feels like they love the deities in an obsessive fan type of way sometimes, but that's not for me to say, really.
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britcision · 2 years ago
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So I’ve been thinking about cultural Christianity lately and how people tend to get very upset about it without really understanding what it is, so here is a primer
Cultural Christianity is not a choice you make. It does not mean you are Christian, or even that you remotely like Christianity; a lot of people who vehemently hate the religion do so because of their own cultural Christianity
It is not a shortcoming, or a moral failing, or a sin. It just means that the culture you were raised in was predominantly Christian.
Note: I did not say “majority Christian”. Christians don’t need to be a majority to have a dominant cultural influence
Cultural Christianity means you inherently understand and probably use swearwords like “damn”, “hell”, or a variation on the name “Jesus Christ”
It means when I say cultural Christianity is not a sin, you understand exactly what I mean without needing to have it explained - and you probably know the phrase “original sin” or “seven deadly sins”, even if not in full detail
It means hearing about Hades, god of the dead, wealth, and volcanoes, and assuming he’s the bad guy of Greek mythology… y’know, like Satan
(EVERYONE went to Hades when they died. The Elysian Fields, where the best heroes went, was in Hades’ underworld. The Eleusinian mysteries, a cult to Demeter and Persephone, was basically about asking them to tell Hades to give you a cool afterlife
And he would cuz he drank his “respect wife” juice if not all of his “respect women” juice. Did still kidnap her. But she is a major feature and often makes the decision herself or influences his when they’re mentioned together
Meanwhile, people try and cast Zeus as a good parent)
It means having to have a dreidel, a menorah, or a kinara explained to you at a time when you already knew about Christmas trees and Santa
(Yes, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, major host of the Mass of Christ, is culturally Christian. Even though Coke invented his aesthetic - that’s the “cultural” part)
It’s when you go to make up a new non-religious or pan religious winter celebration… that is centred around a day with family and gifts which is obviously the 25 of December. Maybe counting down 12 days before
It’s defaulting to calling a place of worship you don’t know the name of a “church”
Cultural Christianity is not something people have a choice in; you don’t pick where you’re born, and there are so many other cultures in places like Canada, America, and Britain that are culturally Christian out the ass! But… you will catch Contact Christianity in any of these places
It’s damn near impossible to consume any American or most Western media without brushing across it; cross imagery is everywhere, Christian demons and devils sneak into media all around the world
Western (and some other) Gothic fashion leans heavily on gothic architecture and, yeah, heavily Catholic imagery
Now, brushing across the media in other parts of the world does not impart the same level of cultural Christianity as growing up in a city with four churches on a single block and a Santa Claus parade
And you can grow up heavily in an entirely different culture even in the Bible Belt (but you know what Bible Belt means); you don’t have to abandon all other culture just because Christianity has a chokehold on your home
But when December (or fucking November these days) hits and you hear Mariah Carey in 3/6 stores, yes, you probably have some cultural Christianity
You sure as hell don’t need to be able to name half the denominations (can you name more than 4?), you may never set foot in a Christian church in your life, and still have a cultural Christian influence
If your street names have “saint” in them
If there are crosses or angels on more than half the graves in a cemetery
If you know how to cross yourself but aren’t really sure when you learned; you didn’t look it up or do research to find out
Now note: none of these have an inherent moral judgement attached to them
It’s just about what the culture you live in has taught you about the world, and there’s no culture that is magically the Right One or better than the others
There’s no reason to expect even specifically Christian culture to be the same around the world; it isn’t. It has the same root, but what flowers from the soil is another matter entirely
There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that you have culturally Christian influences and biases; being human is 90% absorbing information from the world around us and half processing it at best - there’s just too much input, and intentionally filtering out Everything Christian Ever?
Well unless you started at 2 years old, odds are pretty good it’s not really a personal choice kinda thing
And you cannot compensate for these influences unless you acknowledge that they exist, that you did not choose to form them, and that you do get to choose how they affect your actions going forward
Christmas stuffed a bunch of other religious traditions into a single package to make itself popular, but if you learned them as Christmas traditions first… do I even need to say it?
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audreyscribes · 2 months ago
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Ω PJO MISC. DEMIGOD HEADCANONS:🧀ARISTAEUS “GOD OF RURAL ARTS, CHEESEMAKING, AND BEEKEEPING”🐝 {WAVE 4.0}
A/N: When I went back to research Aristaeus and everything, I keep getting bamboozled that this demigod-turned-god was basically taught by every single god somehow and for a minor god (in terms of relevance), his domain is BASED. Hope you all enjoy this and thanks for reading! MISCELLANEOUS DEMIGOD H/CS MASTERLIST LINK: [VOL. 1: TUMBLR] || [VOL. 2: TUMBLR] || [AO3]
When you get claimed, there are bees buzzing around you, the smell of honey, olives, and herbs mingling with the countryside of plants and natures blooming around you. You look up and see a symbol of a bee and you’re confused who it is until Chiron announces you are the child of Aristeus: the god of useful and rural arts and handicraft, beekeeping cheese making, olive and oil milling, medicinal herbs, hunting, and the Etesian winds- It’s a bit of a mouthful when all said is done and you’re not sure if you’ve heard it all right correctly. There were even some very confused looks from the majority of people.
When explained, you were basically like Hermes and his demigods, where they like to say “Jack of all trades, master of none” but as a child of Aristaeus, you are the “jack of all trades” with hard emphasis on “TRADES” as a skill.
Your godly father is a deified demigod of Apollo and while he might not be the most exciting god out there, he is one of the most practical ones and he is more popular than people think. You go about camp, doing the regular camper activities but you feel eyes on you as you get to tap into the realm and aspects of your godly parent. You find yourself literally doing every trade underneath the sun, and when it hits you, you go to Chiron for why and then you learn that Aristaeus, literally learned all of the known trades from every possible major god due to his relations, and therefore you.
You find yourself rescuing a bunch of bees and now you are taking care of bee colonies, which the satyrs and nymphs happily help with the beekeeping. The children of Demeter are happy to have help with the extra hands as you help with the agriculture and with the pollination of the strawberries and other crops, which you in turn create honey and specialty strawberry honey, which are sold, made into Ambrosia or medicine, or used to make sweets or cooking like Bavlaka. Inevitably, there is a candle making class as the amount of beeswax is insane so you end up making candles and then later soap.
Chiron helps take point in guiding you in the art of healing and knowledge of herbs, and due to the connection with Apollo, you are also able to do healing. Although not likely, it’s not out of the question, to have minor powers in prophecies but it's more of premonitions than actual visions. If you do, however have the power of prophecy, the gift in exchange may either mix with how you do your trade work or capability to do so. Regardless, you know when someone is about to be injured and prepare the necessary equipment to address it. You are also handy with a bow and arrow, due to the connection with Cyrene who was a companion of Artemis, paired with Artemis as your great aunt, and Apollo as your great grandfather, it just slips into place. 
That said, if you’re a daughter of Aristaeus, Artemis finds you rather quickly when she and her huntresses visit camp and offers you a place; to learn the art of hunting much like Aristaeus had, along with Apollo and Cyrene. If you don’t want to, Artemis keeps an eye on you. If you’re a son of Artisteus, Artemis still keeps an eye on you as an exception because you are her great-nephew/niece, and you’re the grandchild of her brother; who would always keep an eye on you.
Somewhere along the way, when a lost colony of cows just ends up at Camp Half Blood, which may be a gift from your godly father, everyone is also unsure because it could be Hera. Regardless, the cows are integrated into the livestock of camp and then you’re now busy making cheese; which becomes a very big hit for Camp. Though when the topic of goat cheese reaches Mr. D’s ears, made from very normal goats, he’s going to demand to get the first taste of every batch both as quality control and as an offering before you think of distributing it.
Mr. D ends up being softer around you because he taught Aristaeus how to produce alcoholic beverages, and you both lament being unable to grow grapes or maintain a grapevine due to the suspension of Zeus. You make non-alcoholic mead with the honey you’ve made and share it with Dionysus to get through it.
When you have an interest in baking and cooking, you start building clay-built ovens and maintaining the hearth, to which Hestia makes herself known. She gave you a warm smile, commenting that you’re just like Aristaeus, pats your head and offers you a sweet treat and gently coaxes you with advice to maintaining the structure that will hold her flame.  
Of course as the child of Aristateus, it doesn’t mean you don’t have preferred trades that you like to do, but in general, you literally can do every trade when hands are needed. You may not have inherited knowledge but you take to it like a fish to water and after a few moments, you find yourself deeply involved. However, you make connections as you go with your trades; the Hephaestus cabin with their smithing and crafting, the Athena cabin with their weaving as well as sharing olives that you’ve grown, and etc.
You may not have any physical powers of Aristaeus, but as I said, you are literally the Jack of All Trades. You have an easier time learning a skill and using it, but mastering it still takes time. You are good with a bow and arrow, and you know how to wield a blade and hammer with Aristaeus’ connection with smithing and leather making. That said, some trades may not resonate with you as some others but fret not, it is not a disconnection with your godly parent but simply what you like or do not like. If you put your mind to it, you are able to do it.
In terms of power, you may have minor wind powers as being the demigod of the god of Estian winds, who provided the occasional winds that come during the hot months, giving some relief. In terms of threat level to monster as a demigod, I feel like it's between a child of Demeter and Hermes? While not necessarily dangerous like a child of Demeter, due to the sheer possibility of realms, you are also closer to a child of Hermes or almost the same. Monsters still may seek you out, but they are far and few in between. For the most part, as long as you are not in some god business or prophecy, most of them will ignore you if you don’t get involved. 
“To think Artistaeus would have me looking after his demigod child, and I can’t even teach them how to make wine unlike his father rightly learned so-” gripped Mr. D and there was rumbling thunder. Mr. D grumbled but sipped his diet coke, pushing you to drink it as well. If you didn’t have a taste for Diet Coke, you’re going to have an acquired taste because Dionysus ‘offers’ you a diet coke whenever he sees you. It looks like if he can’t teach you how to make wine and manage a grapevine yard, he’s going to teach you the magnificence of Diet Coke.
“You mean to say you’re glad to be looking after Aristaeus’s own child” corrected Chiron, as Mr. D grumbled. You politely slid over the plate of test cheeses you made as he took a bite, bemoaning which cheese would go well with which wine. You took it as the green light as Chiron sighed before smiling gently at you. His eyes were fond but you could see his eyes also being a bit distant as he seemed to remember the past. “Yes yes, well, that boy is now a god and I suppose as a fellow former demigod turned divine, it falls to me to take care of him. It would only be a procedure that I will allow Aristaeus’ demigod to reside in my cabin with my children for now, until a cabin is built.”
“That is…rather flexible of you Mr. D” commented Chiron.
Mr. D waved his hand, his diet coke changing briefly to wine. “As the camp director and former patron god that taught Aristaeus, this demigod’s wellbeing is under my control.”
“And if I say they can sleep in the Big House?” asked Chiron. 
“Bah, Chiron you know this demigod will have their hands full already from learning the art of healing from you and the children of Apollo. You’ll have plenty of time to impart your teachings as you did to Aristaeus” said Mr. D. “It's a wonder how the boy gathered every god’s attention.” 
Chiron coughed. “Well, regardless, we did not expect Aristaeus to have a demigod children after so long but we welcome you all the same. I hope you enjoy your time at Camp Halfblood” he greeted.
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gingermintpepper · 9 months ago
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Day 4: Aristaeus
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Interpretation notes and trivia below the cut!!
All rise for the entrance of my president !! Honestly, of all the figures and characters that were up for debate when I first started thinking about this story and who I wanted leading the charge Aristaeus was not one of them. Originally, I'd always known that Asclepius and Orpheus would be worked in somehow - they've always been favourites of mine in terms of children of Apollo (even if Orpheus as the child of Apollo and Calliope is less popular classically) and I expected my pick for the third child of Apollo to be involved to be similarly mortal like Iamus or Tenes but the more I looked into Aristaeus the more I fell in love with him! Ultimately, he's meant to be both a foil and a reflection of his father - a boy who grows up thinking his father's footsteps would always be warm only to realise that following in them would lead to death and destruction. While his status as a rustic and hunting god is still important here, Aristaeus' interpretation is much more focused on his connection to the Etesian wind and his quelling of the dog star Sirius which is why his hair in particular is so long and spiralling. All in all, more than any other figure I've chosen to interpret and represent in my work Aristaeus is the god I hope more people get interested in and research! I think there are a lot of important stories in his various myths and travels and I definitely want more people to discover and fall in love with them as I have!
Some fun trivia:
Apollo's firstborn son. Because he was born mortal on account of his very mortal mother, Apollo immediately took him to Olympus to eat ambrosia to begin his transition into divinity. Apollo would continue to feed Aristaeus small amounts of ambrosia and nectar for the next ten years until the child fully shed his mortal skin and was reborn as a god.
Due to the nature of making mortals deathless (namely the fun part of the process where they are completely remade and lose their mortal memories) Aristaeus spent most of his early life with his mother and siblings where they all pitched in to reteach him his family, his hobbies, his favourite things and ultimately how to live and love. Aristaeus was very attached to his maternal family because of this and his early acts of ingenuity were mostly born from his wish to make things easier for his family.
Aristaeus is the only one of his children Apollo hand raised full time. In those days, Aristaeus adored his father and believed him completely upright and blameless, the true face of a benevolent deity and the kind of man he aimed to be when he was full grown.
They would later have many bitter arguments and conflicts, the first and perhaps most impactful of all being their disagreement over Actaeon, Aristaeus' firstborn son. He wanted Apollo to teach him stating that it was a normal thing for a grandfather to do but Apollo vehemently refused to have any part of Actaeon's rearing, stating that he was not his child and that it was highly inappropriate for him to educate another god's son. When Actaeon later dies, Aristaeus blames a not insignificant part of that on Apollo - something that only worsens when he learns that it was Artemis who cursed the boy and that Apollo was always aware Actaeon would die young.
Spends most of his time travelling from place to place. Doesn't really like Olympus and prefers to spend his time minding animals or tending to fields. Is on wonderful terms with Demeter and Persephone and often makes decadent exchanges of olive oil and preserved meat for exotic flowers and fruit for his bees.
Big fan of wind and percussive instruments. Never liked the kithara because of how finicky it is and far prefers the hand drums and reed flutes of his mother's country. Exceptional dancer.
Will sell prized cattle for high quality and highly unique jewellry. Doesn't much care for gemstones but is an absolute gold fiend and has a massive collection of bracelets, anklets, nose and lip adornments and rings. Has never been north enough to hit India but got a ton of rare and different adornments from his Phoenician in-laws when he was married to Autonoë.
Hates dogs but doesn't mind wolves. Not a big horse fan either
Unlike other winds, he cannot transform into various animal forms. He's close enough to the Anemoi that he keeps up with the gossip but he's only really friends with Notos. Gets along poorly with Zephyrus whose preference for pretty youths has often led to them getting into physical altercations when they were younger. Aristaeus still holds a bit of a grudge about it.
Has a big stupid crush on Dionysus which is embarrassing because Dionysus also put him out of a job. Due to Dionysus' relative youth, he feels a bit conflicted about such feelings - mostly because Dionysus is on extremely good terms with Apollo and Aristaeus doesn't want him to get burned.
Despite kinda despising his father, Aristaeus is a pretty decent eldest brother and regularly keeps in contact with a lot of his siblings. He often delivers mead, flavoured honey and olive oil and uses it as an excuse to chat and catch up. Currently in a bit of a tiff with Asclepius because he's worried about him and his family.
Favourite colour is the rich gold of purified honey, favourite food is lokma and his favourite time of year is winter.
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enodia-polymorphous · 5 months ago
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hello hello!
I hope you're doing well! I was just wondering what you would think is the best way to start researching Lady Hekate and her worship? As in, what are some basic things that you believe are important for new worshippers of Her to learn about before anything else?
I've recently found myself being more drawn towards Her; so even if nothing comes of it, I'd like to still do some research and learn more about Her!
-A l e c [this is just my personal acc :DD]
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Hello Alec!! Thank you so much for your ask and your trust in me!
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LEARNING ABOUT HEKATE
What are her domains outside of witchcraft, and where do these sit in her history? Witchcraft is a later attribution to the goddess and there's so much more to her!
Hekate as a goddess of all realms (not just the underworld!) plus the lore behind this (multiple interpretations)
On that note, worship of chthonic deities/chthonic aspects of deities (libations and offerings for chthonic deities). But also, how you might do libations and offerings to her when honouring her in non-chthonic aspects? (see the next dot point)
Hekate as a household goddess in hellenic polytheism (her role and the associated worship - this will be very helpful to implementing her into your worship initially, and it's a context of Hekate outside of the chthonic)
Hekate is known to have many names. Just by looking into Hekate's epithets, you can learn so much about her. You can also find new sources to learn about her through the sources of these epithets (especially helpful because she isn't as prevalent in mythology as other deities, but also significant in some mysteries)
Some particular epithets that may be enlightening to who she is: Kleidouchos (keybearer), Phosphorus or Dadouchos (light-bringer/torch-bearer), Enodia (of the crossroads), Kourotrophos (protector of children, women and the vulnerable), Propolos (guide/companion), Propylaia (before the gate, of the threshold), Apotropaia (averter of evil)
Hekate's role in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (the kidnapping of Persephone)
The celebration or recognition of Hekate's deipnon at every new moon, the history of this, why this tradition exists, and how it is celebrated in modern times
Hekate as a psychopomp and guide of the dead/guide of souls/guide of the restless dead
A lot of this is about developing your perception of Lady Hekate, and especially unravelling any inaccurate or incomplete ideas of her that may be common around the internet.
It's easy to feel a lack of direction when researching Hekate as she doesn't have many myths and her role in the pantheon doesn't feel as defined, like with the Olympian gods. Her domains are sometimes difficult to explain, yet they are all intertwined.
You will find yourself led down a few paths while researching some of these things! And I'm sure from there, you'll get some ideas on how ancient worship and modern worship are informed by who she is and how she seeks to help us. Then, how you might want to approach her and invite her into your life.
Please feel free to submit more questions as they come!
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divider credit -> @enchanthings-a
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superkooku · 8 months ago
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Favorite character from Greek mythology + favorite myth from Greek mythology?
Favorite characters
I'll turn this into a tag game : @margaretkart @dootznbootz @sarafangirlart @aliciavance4228 @katerinaaqu @hermesmoly @go-rocksquadsfan @sanska @vint-knight .
And @anon (you can give your answer in another ask 😉).
So, I have a loooooooot of faves. This list is long.
Here are mine :
Nobody. Yeah, in reality, I hate mythology and just pretend I like it. Or I just love making puns about my favorite lying war criminal. Who didn't cheat btw.
Penelope. These two are soulmates, no ifs or buts. I always found her underrated and @dootznbootz 's ramblings on her confirm that. Cunning and sassy half-naiad queen.
"The delian twins", as I like to call them. Idk I really love their multifaceted natures of protectors and deadly huntress/inflictor of illnesses (with an affinity towards plague). And their familial bond is precious. And I like them both equally, even though I talk about Apollo a bit more ig.
Leto. She's precious. They're always ready to defend each other. Like when Apollo and Artemis killed Niobe's kids because she was disrespectful to Leto. Or when Leto came in to save her son from being thrown in Tartarus by Zeus. Or when baby Artemis helped her mother deliver her brother. She fought for her children and now they fight for her.
Hestia. Too bad there isn't more about her because I relate a lot to the concept of chilling at home and staying away from drama.
Ariadne. Because of her family's tragic history, her healing from it with Dionysus (in most versions) and overall, she's great. Also, it's funny how Theseus wanted to marry a child of Zeus but his ex girlfriend actually succeeded 😂. Speaking of her family tragedy...
Asterius. I bet most adaptation authors don't know who I am referring to 🤣. He's a man-eating monster, yes, but he grew up isolated, trapped and unloved. I feel so bad for him.
Perseus. The GOAT. Partly thanks to @sarafangirlart. I already liked him since I always knew he wanted to save his mother, but he genuinely grew on me since I read her posts. That and when I learned of his war against Dionysus. Extremely underrated story.
Athena. Idk I don't think I need to elaborate on why she's cool.
Hades. In retellings, I often hate him because he's either woobified or made into "Greek Satan" (at least in Disney he's fun), but he's genuinely cool in mythology. Morally gray Hades save me.
Hermes. From birth, he was always a little trickster. I love how many functions he has (messenger of the gods, god of merchants, thieves, communication, also a psychopomp btw). A very energetic and helpful god.
Asclepius. I think I should make a post explaining why he's great because, yeah, I don't talk much about him even though there are things to say (yeah it's because I did a lot of research on him).
And... finally... Dionysus 🤣. Of course he made it in this list. I dedicated a whole essay series about this god, come on !
Honorable mentions : Hector, Andromache, Menelaus, Demeter, Telemachus, Hephaestus, Hippolytus, Danae, Ares and many others.
Favorite myths/plays/poems
I already answered that but can't find the post. So I'll do it again, with some new answers in mind. Basically "the myths with the characters on the list".
It's either because they're that compelling or just hilarious.
The homeric cycle. Ok, an easy one.
The Bacchae by Euripides (mandatory reading if you want to understand Dionysus imo. No excuses).
The frogs by Aristophanes. Because it's funny.
Asclepius' story. Seriously I'll elaborate on it one day.
Hermes' birth story. Him stealing Apollo's cows and Apollo getting mad at his scallywag of a brother 🤣🤣. And then just him winning Apollo over with the lyre.
Pirithous and Theseus getting their asses stuck on a chair (yes this is my title for this story). I love to mock these two, especially Pirithous because... give this man a Darwin award please. No thoughts and no survival instincts in his brain 😂.
Orpheus and Eurydice. Simple but powerful.
The Argonautica. Aka a huge crossover. Seeing more interactions between all these heroes would be awesome (especially if we take every version into account 👀. So many faces...). It's funny how I love the Argonautica but never talk about Jason himself 🤣🤣. The embodiment of the protagonist who's less interesting than the other characters.
Perseus' war against Dionysus. A potential retelling about this myth would go so hard !! Especially since we could get a scary Dionysus. Hopefully it doesn't get ruined :(
Edit : some English mistakes I had to correct.
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hyperpotamianarch · 2 months ago
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Well, since I've already arrived at the conclusion my PJO posts tend to get more traffic (even though that's very clearly not a hard-and-fast rule - I'm pretty sure my post about Minos stands at 4 notes or something), I've decided to be tricky and write a crossover post. Now, you've already seen my attempt at Reverse dæmorphing (if you've been following things; if you haven't, it's here). This is something I started thinking of a little before writing this post. So, some similar thought processes were applied - though the post you're currently reading is a little more of a "shitpost", as they are called.
So, without further ado: who I think would be the godly parent of every Animorphs member, what I think would be the battle morph of major PJO characters, and possible added bonus of theoretical dæmon forms for the PJO cast. Vague ideas about each direction of the crossover type discussed in said reverse Dæmorphing post (setting and characters of one franchise with overarching elements of the other interwoven in) might appear by the end.
First, godly parents of the Animorphs cast below the cut:
Jake is your standard protagonist, kind of. So it'll be very easy to slate him under one of the Big Three - probably Zeus, if so. He does have something for battle tactics and strategy, so Athena might be fitting - but that might be a problem with Marco later on.
Rachel is mostly well known for her ruthlessness and something of a bloodlust. In that, it's very easy to slate her under Ares and end it here. However, due to having watched an OSP video claiming Aphrodite probably originated from a Middle-Eastern fertility and war goddess, and due to Rachel's tendency to also be kind of a more girly girl, I think it'd be interesting to place her under "daughter of Aphrodite that just always hungs around cabin 5. No one dares question her". Now, one might notice that I kind of completely ignored Jake and Rachel's families - kind of noticeable, considering they're the only Animorphs with living siblings, and the fact said siblings do affect their characters in some ways. So a second reminder: this isn't serious, as of yet. If I ever reach the section of "world of x but implement elements of y" it's going to become an actual problem. A good alternative would be their siblings being mortal, though.
Cassie, now, is a bit of a problem. Possibly because I go too much with surface characterization. Cassie is the animal lover, "tree hugger" as Marco calls her, with the two veterinarian parents. This is, the only greek godess associated with the safety of wild animals I can currently remember is Artemis. The goddess with explicitly no children of her own. Of course, Cassie could be a follower of Artemis, but I don't really think it's a good idea. Beyond the standard point of the virginity oath clashing with her relationship with Jake - which I could ignore like I did with Tom, Jordan and Sarah - I don't actually think it fits her that well. She could be the daughter of Demeter, as this is another nature associated goddess, but Demeter is more concerned with plants, and cultivated ones at that. So I don't really think it's a good idea. A good alternative would be being a Satyr, as they love nature and are not restricted to plants. However... all satyrs are men. That's a hard and fast rule. You'll notice that there's never a mention of a female Satyr - when Coach Hedge talks about his mother, it's clear she's a cloud nymph. No other female relative of a Satyr is ever mentioned. At all. Neither are there female Centaurs, for that matter - and I believe ToA was the first to introduce a male driad, making most nymphs female. Same with Harpies, inasmuch as we've seen them as a species. I could probably research and find out the mythical reason for that. Or I could do the same as everyone inventing a demititan or halfblood children of Echidna/Nix/other beings that only had either divine or monsterous children and make up a female descendant of Pan. Is she a Satyr? shrugs. She's a Thing. That exists. For some unfathomable reason. In theory I could've made her a Poseidon legacy like Frank, but I don't think it's a good idea with how it breaks Morphing. I mean, if Frank's barrier initially was lack of familiarity with the animals he thought of, Cassie... well, Cassie will hack this ability and will be way better than Frank with it, very quickly. Sure, she might be unable to do dragons at first, but any animal that was treated in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic is an immediate go at the very least. On that note, the interaction between godly powers and the morphing technology needs to be considered... but that's a topic for the end.
Marco always get presumed comic relief. In which case, if we were to go with that shallow a description, he will be the perfect Hermes kid. Sure, being funny isn't their primary function, but it befits a trickster god. Only Marco isn't the crafty guy: he's more of the bright clear line, planning type of guy. So maybe he is Hermes, but I think Athena should also be taken under consideration. Hermes is a catchall for a lot, though, so he might still fit.
I... don't really know about Tobias. Half of his struggle through the books is him not being human anymore. He's always an outcast, bullied unwanted. Plus, he already has a secret father he didn't expect: Elfangor. Which doesn't really cover the definitions, but still probably worth remembering. I thought of putting him down as Apollo - he who shoots far must see far as well. In addition to the god of prophecy angle that may sort of fit if you look at it diagonally? I don't really have much.
Ax is a whole different beast. Literally so, considering he's an alien. Depending on how I do this I could try and fit him with an Olympian - say, Dionysus (very weird idea). So... Umm... Let him just be himself? Maybe the child of some Andalite deity, maybe just a regular ol' Andalite. I'm not going to make him a centaur, though, as that would end up being rather boring and would take away from his character. How do aliens fit within the PJO continuity? That's for that section about the crossover that I'm totally going to write!
So. Um. I have done Olympian parent for each of the Animorphs. I suppose it means it's time for the other side: battle morphs for the cast of Percy Jackson. I'm going to go with the seven for it - not exactly balanced, but I don't really have a good idea for a seventh Animorph at the moment. I would also note: Grover in that scenario is not getting the morphing power. Because I don't want to start going at it with him. He's the most likely to be the team's Cassie (outside of the slightly pacifist tendencies, I suppose) - actually, note for the legendary section-that's-totally-going-to-be-there, if Cassie and Grover meet one of their immediate points is Grover asking animals for permission to acquire them. Because he can do that. Coach Hedge probably can as well, but he's not really the type. Anyway, the seven's battle morphs:
We'll start with Percy. The obvious possibility is to make his battle morph a horse. A shark could also be possible but has some severe limitations, so that's a no-go. Horse is also kind of problematic, because... well, I'm not sure how good it'll be in battle? I just... I don't know. I mean, a horse can definitely kick people, and it can work. Maybe one of Diomedes' carnivorous mares? He never got to touch them, but maybe he could find a way. Plus, using mythical creatures is a great idea! I'd have suggested a pegasus, perhaps, though that one isn't exactly as useful.
If we went with the horse for Percy, an owl would be the obvious one for Annabeth... only it's not really a battle morph. I mean, sure, Tobias fights as a hawk, and an owl would be even more useful than the hawk in the dark, but... with Tobias it's due to the circumstances, and I don't think it's ideal. Works for espionage, but not as the primary attack morph. So instead, I'm going to be boring and call back to a canonical moment: when immune from Circe's magic, Annabeth suggest she turn her into a Jaguar. It was a throwaway line, more or less, and doesn't necessarily holds much interest. But I do think it fits: a very dangrous animal that can lie in wait to strike, and is very dangerous from up close. The last point might be true about many predators - I suppose it might fit Jaguars less than I think, I don't really know enough to tell.
Next is Jason. Which I have no doubt everyone will tell me is a wolf person. He was raised by wolves, after all. Maybe his flying morph will be a golden eagle or something because of his father, but sacred animals can only take you so far. I'm afraid I don't have a better idea than a wolf right now.
Leo is going ape because he would like to keep his opposable thumbs. He's not a one-to-one Marco equivalent, but there are some superficial similarities. So maybe he also goes for a gorrila. A smaller primate might not have enough firepower (heh). I don't really know. A chimpanzee, maybe? Is it apparent that I have no understanding whatsoever in animals? (The Animorphs did acquire chimps at one point. And horses. And I do think Jake acquired a Jaguar during that one Sario Rip effect story? And obviously, wolf is Cassie's battle morph. And yet, I don't really know enough about either to know if it's suitable. I'm currently ignoring that under the flimsy excuse that this is a shitpost.)
Next is Piper. And considering I was pulling all of those from the depths of Tartarus without any aid from the Muses so far, I think I've run dry. Because I'm not sure what would be a suitable morph for her. Maybe I should stick with a mythical creature for her - I'd say Empusa (because charmspeak), but those are kind of too humanlike. Ditto for the Gegeines, who seem to be the Giants' foot soldiers in the same way Scythian Dracaena were for the Titans' - and the latter... Well, would likely never agree to be acquired, but can work. Especially since my next idea for Piper was a snake, because of the Song of Snakes thing. She probably has a dove morph that she never actually acquired - courtesy of her mother. Might be occasionally useful, usually it's just left unused. So, in conclusion - probably snake, be they mundane or mythical.
Frank is the one I could just skip. He doesn't need the morphing technology, and already kind of has a battle morph: an elephant. Can draw parallels between him and Rachel, I don't know, I'm really just speaking rubbish here.
Hazel is going to be the death of me. Do you get it? Because she's the daughter of Pluto? And he's the god of death? nervous laughter followed by dead silence Oh, yeah. I'm doomed. It's important to note, though, that the limits of the battle morphs are actually ones of plausible acquiring and battle capabilities. Which should probably make this task slightly more achievable. Hazel is our horsegirl. Which would've been great if we didn't have Percy already on horse duty. Plus, she likes riding on them. She's the cavalry, by definition. A unicorn could be great, though. Didn't she handle them through controlling the jewelry in their horns once? I don't remember if it was indicated that she gotten along with them or not. Anyway, at this point I'm tired and willing to accept this. Hazel morphs a unicorn.
So, now that I'm done with that part, it's time for crossover thoughts! This is bound to be fun!
Maybe I'll stop here for now, though, and keep the rest for a reblog. It's all bad enough as it is.
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templeof-demeter · 7 months ago
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Demeter: Beneath the Earth Part 2, Dionysus
Demeter can often be seen as one dimensional when looking at a “modern re-telling” version of her Homeric Hymn. I’ve encountered many people outside the faith who, if they even know of her, know of her as a strict and prudish mother.
We know that is far from the truth, from her holidays and hymn encouraging crude jokes and language, to her affair with mortal man, her lack of being married in it all (though debated), and her cults likely uses of hallucinogenic drugs, she is far from prudish.
Come in Dionysus, one who is seen as perhaps her polar opposite in modern interpretation. Many see him as a God of pure ecstasy, of partying of lively drinking, and of being a bit lazy in other fields. This also is far from true- friend of the Temple @thedansemacabres made a post about a year ago about Dionysus Hestios, an obscure epithet of Dionysus that shows us his association with home and hearth. And while this may be more presumptive, I also believe that he has a “cozy” side because of the connections to wine and relaxation. Either way, he has many traits that are not well known too modern media.
They both, like all of the Gods, have many aspects to acknowledge and personality to spare. We see duality in many of them; Apollo with plague and medicine being a great example. I believe this is because nature is full of oppositional forces, and the Gods exemplify and guide nature. Nature allows for wind to calm us, or to destroy cities, for example. This is just like the Gods, who in mythology aided us, but also could destroy us.
Demeter and Dionysus are, in my perspective, heavily intertwined. We can see in agricultural holidays that they are both worshipped together- Demeter receiving the first crops, first vegetables, and Dionysus receiving the first grapes or first fruits. In conjunction with their agricultural associations, they both are deities of fertility.
The pairing of Dionysus and Demeter is not uncommon, given the agricultural connections to both deities, a point reinforced by the title Karpios (deriving from karpos ‘fruit’) given o Dionysus. The cult of both deities, it is often states, was very popular in Thessaly..
Religion and Society in Ancient Thessaly by Maria Mili
At their cores, Dionysus and Demeter are both deities of agriculture, and have been connected by this string since this beginning. This is what ties them together the most, and Dionysus’s worship in agriculture is often overlooked in favor of his place in society and culture as the God of Wine and Ecstasy- and please do not misunderstand, these are vital parts of him and are deserving of all their celebrations. I believe that the specific ties to agriculture deserve just as much recognition, he is not just the God of consuming wine, but the God of its creation from grape to wine.
Haloa is a festival that honors Demeter and Dionysus as gods of harvest and fertility. This festival ties them by fertility- the event was celebrated with a feast, genitalia shaped cakes, dancing, and ritual obscenity. This ties into the “fun” side of Demeter that also deserves it’s recognition, her duality is just as important as any others and it is very prevalent in history and mythology. And as a fertility rite, it was likely not just of the human fertility- but of the lands fertility.
While it is heavily debated, in UPG and in many academic texts and research, Demeter tends to have an association with some hallucinogenic and of course the poppy flower- and thus poppy seeds that produce opium. This connects them to not just the serious nature of agriculture, but to the enlightening or jovial nature of drug use. They also could have connections in wrath or reaction, or at the very least intertwined enough to be mentioned together in this way;
“For whatsoever things vex Demeter, vex also Dionysos; for Dionysos shares the anger of Demeter.”
Callimachus, Hymn 6 to Demeter 65 ff (trans. Mair)
Lastly, I'd like to briefly touch on the idea that Demeter is a parent of Dionsyus. This comes from Bibliotheca Historica. There are varying ways to interpret this possibility- for one, we can take it literally, that there were/are worshippers who believe that Zeus and Demeter are the parents of Dionsyus. Another interpretation could be more metaphorical, Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest- of all harvest, so a God that is in that category, as Dionsyus is, is a metaphorical child or continuation of Demeter and her work.
The deities are capable of much more than we will ever know, and they have much more mythology and history than we will ever recover. So, we may never know the specifics of what we desire, but we can make educated guesses, work towards divination, and on a grander scale keep up with new archeological finds. Ultimately, it’s important as a worshipper to research and understand how multifaceted every being we encounter is, including and especially the Gods.
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templeofelysium · 4 months ago
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who was zagreus?
hey y'all, on the post "who are the chthonic deities?" i got a comment asking about Dionysus not being included in the list. ever since then i've been thinking a lot about doing more research on the god Zagreus, who Dionysus is a reincarnation of.
Zagreus, the main character of the video game series Hades, is very different to the mythic Zagreus. mostly in the way that there really wasn't a lot of lore about Zagreus, at least not the same level as Dionysus. most of his stories come from Orphism, or the cult following of Orpheus.
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DOMAIN: god of pitfalls, game hunting, and chthonic sacrifices
BIRTH AND DEATH: before she is given to the Underworld, Demeter hides her daughter Persephone away in a cave to ward off her many suitors. however, Zeus, as is typical of his mythic self, changes form into a drakon (a dragon-serpent), and makes love to her, conceiving the horned child Zagreus. the infant is then brought to Mount Ida, where he is to be raised in much the same way as Zeus himself. even as a child, Zeus takes a liking to Zagreus and whisks him away to Olympus, intending him to be his heir. there he is allowed to climb the heavenly throne and wield Zeus' lightning bolts.
however, Hera then becomes jealous, and incites the Titans to kill him while she distracts the boy with toys. the Titans then chop him to pieces, and in some stories, they then cook and eat the corpse.
Zagreus is also identified as the son of Hades and Persephone, however, and other sources use Zagreus and Hades interchangeably. whether this is a separate deity from Orphic Dionysus-Zagreus or not, the two are now intrinsically linked.
REBIRTH: Zeus, finding out about Zagreus' death, enacts his rage on the Titans with great rain and lightning, and blasts them apart. from these remains, the Orphics said, humanity arose (giving us the evil nature of Titans and good nature of Gods). Zeus then goes to rescue what he can of Zagreus' remains (or Athena does), and all that is left is his heart. there are many different versions of what happens next, whether Apollo is given the remains to be buried and Zagreus is reborn as Dionysus by Rhea/Demeter OR Zeus makes a potion of what is left of his son and gives it to Semele, who births Dionysus.
Dionysus' association with Zagreus would further explain his ability to go and bring people back to life, including his mother Semele and wife Ariadne.
SYNCRETISM: Dionysus-Zagreus is often compared to Osiris, and his rebirth with the help of Isis (who is associated as Demeter). the posthumous conception of Horus, as well, may relate to the "second birth" of Dionysus from Semele's dead body. there is further evidence relating the mysteries of Osiris/Isis and the mysteries of Dionysus/Demeter.
SOURCES: theoi.com wikipedia britannica
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genericpuff · 4 months ago
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I am relatively new to Greek mythology, and I thought I'd start from a few somewhat lore accurate retellings [even if it is a retelling of a retelling lol (LR is amazing btw, it's always so great to anticipate the episodes!)] and I wanted to ask for clarification on the timeline (despite it ambiguity). Khione, goddess of winter time (as far as I recall, please do correct if I am wrong) existed during the titans as she was classified as a titan (in my memory!) however, winter was brought upon the mortal realm when Demeter's rage and sorrow manifested. I'm still rlly confused on that. Thank you btw!
aahh so. Khione is. one of those goddesses who kinda sorta doesn't exist lmao at least not in the way people talk about her as a "goddess of snow", the same way Despoina didn't exist in much of the same ways (like, she's also commonly referred to as a goddess of winter and frost despite those terms NEVER showing up in official sources about her.)
I will go on to explain BUT as always - I am not Greek, nor am I a trained academic on Greek myth material. This is largely my own speculation and current beliefs based on the research I've done over the years, which is always subject to change and grow. I do realize the irony that this post is gonna contain my own analyses and criticisms of misinformed beliefs about certain Greek myth deities from people who are just as formally educated as I am on the subject. If you disagree with any of my points or have anything to add that I overlooked, by all means please feel free to discuss in the comments. Otherwise, take everything I have to say here with grains of salt, remember to do your own research so that you're not making the same mistakes as the people I'm subtly criticizing by relying solely on one source of information.
There are a lot of mixed sources on Greek mythology, on account of both the cultural and political mixing that was happening during the time of Greek antiquity (the largest of which was the adoptions of many Hellenic myths by the Romans, which is why there are Roman counterparts of so many stories and Gods, ex. Hades = Pluto, Poseidon = Neptune, Ouranos = Uranus, Aphrodite = Venus, etc.) but ALSO because a lot of general understanding of Greek myth nowadays exists solely through the filter of pop culture adaptions and, well, the Internet, where people do in fact tell lies, even if they're rooted in some amount of half-truth 😅
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Regarding Khione, she's more alike to that of Despoina, where the actual sources regarding her existence and role are very limited and, due to how others interpreted and misinterpreted those sources over the years, has resulted in "fake" versions of them being popularized and accepted as cold hard truth.
I've talked at length about Despoina before, there's a lot of debate over whether or not she was a goddess or simply an epithet which could refer to any other number of goddesses, including Persephone, Demeter, and Hecate. Her existence was largely sworn to secrecy as she was worshipped through The Eleusinian Mysteries, a cult of worshippers devoted to Demeter, Persephone, and god knows who else (they did in fact live up to their name, we still to this day barely know anything about them or what they did, they are a mystery LOL)
That said, a lot of people still run around with the singular committed belief that Despoina was the "goddess of winter and frost", a sister of Persephone, because... I actually don't know why, but I'm sure it started from some popular adaption that chose to depict her that way. Or maybe this singular belief just comes from Quora threads and misinformed strangers telling other misinformed strangers things that aren't wholly true but citing it as fact anyways.
Khione's affiliation as a goddess of snow kind of falls into the same camp of "yes, but also no". She's not a singular "goddess of winter", she certainly was NOT a Titan according to any of the limited sources that exist, and she didn't have any sort of "domain" over winter in the same way Demeter did over the harvest or Hades over the dead. Any claims as such are merely loose speculations with words like "probably" and "maybe".
At best we know she was a nymph associated with snow in some way that isn't 100% certain, either as a daughter of Boreas (the north wind) or as his consort. In some theories, she was both, as there could have very well been two of them, possibly mother and daughter, sharing the same name which is - surprise - just the Greek word for "snow", hence why people often default her as "the goddess of snow" and not simply what she more likely was, a nymph or deity associated with snow simply through the translation of her name and relation to the north wind.
(it should be noted btw that Greek deities and heroes sharing the same name happens a LOT and it's why it's always important to not stick to any singular "canon" as oftentimes all the various sources of culturally and politically relevant information are muddied by the game of Internet telephone and popular adaption.)
And all of that isn't even getting into what "winter" even meant within the context of Ancient Greece. I've also gone into speculative rants about this, but a "goddess of winter" by all accounts probably didn't even exist, because "winter" in Ancient Greece very likely wasn't the way we tend to envision it - an annual season of snowfall, holiday cheer, etc. - but was instead a period of drought. Demeter wasn't necessarily literally creating 'winter' through the manifestation of snow and ice, she was instead creating a period in which crops couldn't grow by not fulfilling her duties as the goddess of the harvest (after all, if Demeter was literally capable of creating snow and ice, why wouldn't we refer to her as such? As you said yourself, it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for someone like Despoina or Khione to be the goddesses of winter when Demeter presumably already had control over that domain.)
"Harvest" and "drought" are both seasons in and of themselves, and the story of Demeter and Persephone was to explain the fluctuations of those farming seasons, not necessarily the definitions we rely on today where winter = snow. Persephone, by extension, wasn't necessarily the Goddess of Spring because she could directly create flowers and sunshine and rain - it was because her return to Demeter brought about the end of the drought, when Demeter would allow the harvest to continue, which served as our simplified understanding of 'spring'.
And if you need more proof of this, well, just go read the actual Hymn to Demeter. The word 'winter' is not mentioned once.
As for Khione, well... it's not that she didn't exist, there is source material about her, but it's incredibly minimal and, at best, just serves as a part of the overall picture, not the singular source. "Winter" - and all of the other seasons to boot - as the Ancient Greeks clearly tried to understand it wasn't through one single god, but an accumulation of many, across various communities, religions, and cultures that shared and adopted many beliefs from one another built on abstraction of thought and divine attribution for lack of clearer explanations at the time - through Demeter, who robbed them of the harvest and plunged them into famine for months every year; through Hades, who indirectly triggered these famines in his kidnapping and marriage to Persephone; through Zeus, who gave Hades his blessing to marry Persephone; through Boreas, one of four deities of the wind who specifically brought about the cold winds from the north; and through Khione, a nymph who was the consort and/or daughter of Boreas, whose name means 'snow' and who possibly had some affiliation with the cold and snow through her relation to Boreas who was linked to the northern regions of Greece which traditionally experienced the harshest winters and heaviest snowfalls.
phew
I realize that was a lot but I hope it helps clear up some of the confusion! And like I said in my above disclaimer, you def don't have to take everything I've said here as law or fact, more so another perspective on the matter that will hopefully at least lift the fog of confusion a bit. Being new to Greek myth can definitely be overwhelming on account of just how much there is to read and dissect, there are so many sources, articles, creative interpretations, and debates over these historical puzzles we don't even have all the pieces to because we're analyzing all of it in hindsight.
That said, it is still a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy the process of discovery and learning! I highly recommend also checking out /r/GreekMythology, Theoi, and the various translations that exist from authors like Robert Fagles, Robert Fitzgerald, and Emily Wilson :)
Good luck! <3
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theobjectofmyobsession055 · 5 months ago
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Of Wonders and Witches: Chapter 5 (Zagreus x Reader)
Heyyyyy so I kinda went down a rabbit hole researching whether or not ancient Greeks smoked weed and/or weed adjacent drugs because of this chapter, only to find inconclusive research. But I decided to keep it in anyway because I liked it, so sorry if the historical inconsistency bothers y'all :( Also speaking of historical inconsistency, I know that reading tarot wasn't invented until LOOOOOONG after ancient Grecian times, but once again, I liked the idea of it so just consider it something tarot-adjacent. Anyways, enjoy! Hope y'all like this chapter!
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Perhaps Y/N’s potion had become more potent, because Zagreus managed to make it all the way to his mother’s garden without the dread of the Styx encroaching on him. They even managed to have a semi-full conversation! But he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was whisked away back to the Underworld, and he had a question burning in the back of his mind that just couldn’t wait. “Mother, you wouldn’t happen to know of a witch living nearby, would you? Kind, pretty eyes, has these things called ‘chickens’ in her yard?”
Persephone raised an eyebrow. “The witch? Yes, I know her. Though I can’t say I’ve ever paid much attention to what her eyes look like. Why?”
“I was wondering if you knew much about her, is all. She’s a bit of a mysterious one, isn’t she? I imagine not many mortals would dare to live so close to the entrance to the Underworld,” he said simply, hoping desperately that he seemed more nonchalant about it than he felt.
“I suppose so.” She had the slightest of smiles on her lips, and a knowing look in her eyes that made Zagreus’ neck feel hot. She crossed her arms over her chest as she got a thoughtful expression on her face. “I can’t say I know much about her. She comes and gives me offerings every so often in exchange for permission to harvest from my garden. She never takes very much, and the cakes she leaves are quite tasty, so I allow it. If you’ve actually spoken with her, then you likely know more than I. Her company is usually very short-lived. She seems to keep to herself, and she hasn’t disturbed my peace, so I let her be.
He didn’t know Y/N could bake—he’d have to ask her about it sometime. Ah no, he could feel that familiar dread settling in his stomach again. At least this time with his mother had been longer than most. And in just a few short minutes, he was whisked off back to the Underworld.
By now, the only real challenge that stood between Zagreus and the surface was his father—occasionally a satyr cultist managed to pick him off, but for the most part he’d gotten escaping the Underworld down to a science. He battled with Hades time and time again—he wasn’t sure of just how long it took him to get past him again, but it certainly took some time, along with some carefully selected boons of Artemis and Demeter.
For once, Y/N wasn’t outside when he approached her cottage. He rapped on the door, and a few moments later Y/N appeared, holding a pipe in her hand. She blew out a plume of sweet-smelling smoke and gave him a radiant smile. “Zagreus, what a pleasure it is to see you again. Come in, come in.” She had a relaxed sort of fluidity about her, her movements unhurried as she ushered him inside. “You came at the perfect time, I was just getting prepared to do some readings.”
“Readings? Like divinations?” He eyed her curiously. It wasn’t a drastic change, but she seemed just a little more carefree than usual. He decided he liked it—it was nice to see her be so comfortable.
She took another drag from her pipe, and then she chuckled, clouds of smoke leaving her lips in tiny little puffs. “Sort of. But also not quite. It’s more about interpreting the present than attempting to scry the future.” She extended the pipe out towards him. “Would you like some? It does wonders for the nerves.”
Zagreus didn’t feel particularly nervous at the moment, but far be it from him to turn down a lady. “Sure,” he said, taking the pipe from her. He turned it around in his hands, examining it curiously. Then he brought it to his lips and breathed in deeply. The smoke burned the back of his throat a little, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He resisted the urge to cough—perhaps he’d breathed in a little too deeply. The effect was subtle, but he found his limbs feeling slightly looser. “What is this stuff, anyway?” It occurred to him that he probably should have asked that before smoking the unknown substance, but oh well.
“Just some dried herbs I found growing near the Temple. They’re perfectly safe, I assure you. I’ve done this plenty of times.”
He chuckled, the sweet smoke curling through his lungs making the sound come out a little easier. “I trust you wouldn’t give me something you knew to be toxic. Not that it’d matter too terribly if you did—I’d just come right back.” He took another hit from her pipe and gave her a cheeky grin.
“Would you now? And here I figured that murder might spoil our relationship a bit,” she said with a smirk. She took the pipe from him and took one last long drag from it before setting it to the side. She grabbed a thick deck of cards from the counter and started shuffling them, their gilded edges glinting in the low light of the fire. “Would you care for a reading? It’s been a while since I did one for somebody else, I could use the practice.”
He eyed the cards curiously. He wasn’t quite sure how cards could read the future, or, how she had put it, ‘interpret the present,’ but he didn’t understand much about how magic worked, frankly. He shrugged and slung one of his arms around the back of the recliner. “Sure, why not.”
“Wonderful!” She sat down next to him on the recliner and turned so she was facing him. She divided the deck into three piles, fanning each one out in front of him face-down. “Pick one from each. It doesn't matter which, just whatever one feels right.”
Zagreus, never one for hesitancy, picked out three cards from the piles in her hands. She nodded, stacking the rest of the deck and setting it aside on the end table. She took the three cards he’d selected and flipped them over. Her brows knitted together as she examined them, and she muttered a few words under her breath that he couldn’t quite make out. After a moment, she nodded to herself once more and placed the cards face-up in front of him. Each card had a different image on it, and by the contemplative look on Y/N’s face, Zagreus assumed that they meant something.
“Hmm… I see…” she mused. “This is a simple past-present-future spread. So the first card represents what inner workings have transpired that have led you to your current situation. The second represents the forces at work in your life now. And the third represents the possibilities laid out before you.” She pointed at the first card. “It appears that you have begun a great journey in the recent past, moving away from naivete and closer towards the truth.” Then she pointed at the second card. “As for the present, have you felt betrayed by anyone recently? Is there a person or people in your life who have broken your trust?”
He couldn’t help but scoff, his thoughts turning to his father and his lies, and Nyx’s as well to a lesser extent. “You could say that,” he said, his voice sounding slightly more bitter than he’d intended it to.”
She gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to drudge up unpleasant thoughts. I’m just reading what the cards tell me. But… I’m sorry that you’ve been made to feel that way.” She took a deep breath, an inscrutable look on her face. “…I know that we haven’t known each other for all that long, but know that I consider you a friend, Zagreus. You can always come to me with your troubles if you wish. I may not know exactly what you’re striving towards, but I want to help you in whatever way I can.”
He was still for a moment, touched by her sincerity. Should he tell her? Would that put her even more in harm’s way if she knew too much about his goal? After a moment of deliberation, he decided that the damage had already been done—if he really wanted to protect her he shouldn’t have started associating with her in the first place. He let out a heavy sigh. He leaned his elbows on his knees, a somber look on his face. “…Persephone is my mother. That’s why I keep going to see her. But I didn’t know that until recently—my father, Hades, he lied to me, told me that Nyx was my birth mother. I’m… trying to get some answers, but it seems the more I speak to her the more questions I get.”
Y/N looked at him thoughtfully, her hands folded in her lap. “That must have been quite a shock,” she said empathetically. “I can imagine why you feel betrayed—it must be difficult for you to trust your father after all that.”
He let out a wry laugh. “You could say that. Not that we had much of a relationship to begin with, but… I at least thought he was honest. Now, I’m not so sure. I’m… not sure of anything, really.”
“That’s okay. It’s natural to feel uncertain about things after what you’ve been through. I think it’d be unreasonable to expect you to have all the answers.” She placed her hand on his knee, the touch emanating a warm sense of comfort, like a balm to his frazzled nerves. “Just know that I’m here for you, Zagreus. If you ever need a friend, or a distraction, or just someone to talk to, my door is always open. And I want you to know that I appreciate you coming to visit me even when you have so little time with your mother. It means more to me than you know.”
Zagreus was quiet for a moment, soaking in her words. Despite the tumult in his heart, her understanding made him feel a bit more at ease. “…Thank you,” he said quietly.
She offered him a kind smile and removed her hand from his knee. He immediately missed the contact. “Do you want me to read the last card?” she asked.
“Sure.”
She took a moment to reexamine the third card. Then, upon seeing what it was, she smiled. She set it back down face up in front of him. “Despite all the trials you may be facing now, at the end of your journey you will reap the fruits of your labor. Your path may be a long and arduous one, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.” She picked up the three cards and shuffled them back into the deck. “I hope that helped lift your spirits some?”
A small smile tugged on Zagreus’ lips. “It did. Thank you, Y/N.”
They didn’t have much more time before the Styx started pulling him back to it. She gave him a dose of her potion, with the promise that the effects should last a little longer this time. Then, like before, he stood at the threshold, hesitating. His head buzzed pleasantly from the pipe smoke he’d inhaled, not enough to completely impair his thinking but just enough to make him entertain his impulses a bit more than he usually would. As he stood in the doorway, looking at her sweet smile as she stared up at him, only one thought ran through his mind: he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her terribly.
But for once, he withheld his urges. He didn’t want to mess this up, to scare her away. So instead, he opted for the gallant gesture of taking her hand in his own and placing a tender kiss on her knuckles. Her cheeks flushed a delightful shade of red, just as they had when he’d kissed her hand before, making his lips curve upwards. “Until next time, Y/N.”
He took a moment to drink in the sight of her flustered expression before he left. This was beginning to become a bit of a trend, he knew, but it was one he welcomed wholeheartedly.
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